Braking systems for utilization with skate-type wheels and/or castors have been heretofore known and/or utilized (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,076,266, 4,094,524, 4,183,546, 4,300,781, 4,706,974, 4,691,931, 4,602,801, 2,140,955, 4,275,895, 2,139,699, 2,707,794, 2,685,351, and 4,943,075). However, stopping speed and control have not always proven to be entirely satisfactory in some applications of such systems, and ease of application (where, for example, such system is to be retrofit in a particular application) and/or ease of replacement of worn parts has not always been given due consideration.
Skates having a linearly arranged set of wheels have also been heretofore known (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,823,952, 28,509, 2,570,349, 2,145,219, 480,610, and 2,048,916). Such "in-line" skates have gained recently in popularity and have thus been found by many to have a drawback in that they are difficult to safely slow or stop. In-line skates in some cases employ a heel or toe piece of rubber material for slowing or stopping the skate when a user drags the piece on the skating surface. Use of such toe or heel pieces is difficult to master even for the experienced skater, and particularly so on uneven or heavily used skate paths. One arrangement has shown an actuatable brake for such in-line skates, but this arrangement again requires a particular skate maneuver in order to activate the brake (see European Application Number 379,906-A). Braking systems particularly adapted for such wheeled skates having linearly arranged sets of wheels have thus not been heretofore entirely satisfactory.
While rollers for skates have heretofore included composite roller surfaces for stability, to prevent sliding, and the like (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos 320,774, 1,548,631, 285,783, 281,324, and 285,836) their use has been substantially obviated by more recent roller materials, such as polyurethanes or other relatively rigid materials, for such purposes. Utilization of a modified roller surface in conjunction with a braking mechanism has not been apparently heretofore suggested to thus provide improved stopping ability and stability of wheeled apparatus to which such a system is applied.